Around 700,000 eligible voters will determine the political future of Lebanon, by electing 28 Members of Parliament in North Lebanon.

Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement and Saad Hariri's Tayyar Al Mustaqbal Movement have been exchanging jabs all week, exposing the significance of the outcome on Sunday. Hariri needs to win at least 19 of the 28 seats in order to gain control of the parliament. Aoun needs a minimum of 16 seats to achieve a one-third minority, allowing a veto of any major legislation in the new parliament.

A victory for Hariri will almost guarantee that the 35-year-old new comer will be Lebanon's next prime minister.

The campaign theme for Hariri's Opposition movement has been consistent all week, to put a nail in the coffin on Syria's influence over Lebanon by not allowing them any seats in the new parliament.

"Say no, a thousand times, to the intelligence regime (of Syria and Lebanon); 'no' to (Syrian) guardianship over Tripoli, the north and Lebanon," Saad Hariri told a crowd of thousands in the northern port of Tripoli on Thursday.

The rally responded with roars of "Syria out!"

Aoun formed an alliance with Suleiman Franjieh and other pro-Syrian politicians, despite being driven into exile for 14 years by Syria. He proclaimed himself the "only politician in this country who didn't collaborate with the Syrians," during his exile in France.

Aoun defended Syria, rejecting charges that intelligence officers remain in Lebanon.

"The Syrian presence is a rumour," said Aoun. He continued, "Syria is outside Lebanon now, it has personal friends here but it doesn't have an influence any more."

With respect to foreign policy, Aoun added, "we maintain our support to Syria to recover the Golan Heights and we maintain our support to the Palestinians to have their own country."

Despite the track record of Aoun's pro-Syrian associates, he proclaimed "my allies have agreed to my anti-corruption and reform platform, there is no pro-Syria or anti-Syrian any more."

Meanwhile, Hariri continued to accuse Aoun and his allies of turning a blind eye, "How can they say they are fighting corruption while they are allying themselves with the head (of corruption)?" he asked. "To the people of the north, it is your responsibility to act. The north must rise and speak its mind ... This is the last chance to save Lebanon, to reclaim Lebanon and to end tutelage for good," Hariri told supporters in Tripoli. "This is a decisive battle for change ... against the control of (Lebanese and Syrian) security services influencing the country's fate," Hariri told .

The catfight continued, as Aoun coined Hariri the "corrupter-in-chief," accusing his opponents of buying votes, "those people have been buying consciences," referring to the opposition alliance of Sunni leader Saad Hariri, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and the Lebanese Forces movement of jailed former Christian warlord Samir Geagea.

Aoun attacked Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa, who accused Syrian agents of intimidating voters. "The interior minister pretends some Syrian officers are interfering in the elections. He has to resign because his duty is to arrest them and send them to trial," Aoun said.

"His duty is not to send to (UN envoy Terje Roed-) Larsen and (US President George W.) Bush and (Secretary of State Condoleezza) Rice to say officers are here. We have to stop that and assume our responsibilities."

Tripoli MP Mosbah el Ahdab, reported that several people had been threatened over the phone by Syrian officers. "You cannot, in fourth months, destroy a system that has been there for 30 years," he said.

In Gibran Khalil Gibran's hometown of Besharre, Setrida Geagea, wife of the jailed Christian warlord Samir Geagea, urged supporters to vote for anti-Syrian candidates. Setrida aims to persuade the new parliament to pardon her husband, an opponent of Syria who is serving three life sentences for political assassinations.

In what appears to be a change of heart following his proclaimed interest in seeking the presidency, Aoun said he would work with the Opposition to shorten the term of President Emile Lahoud.

"If the parliamentary majority agrees on my political program, if there is a consensus, I'm ready to become president on condition that those leaving be given an honorable discharge," said Aoun on Wednesday.

The decision to extend the term of Lahoud, which was imposed by Syria in November 2004, can only be reversed if two-thirds of the 128 MPs vote for a new amendment.

"Lahoud is the biggest winner of the elections. He is shielded by the majority of the new parliament," said Butros Harb of Qornet Shahwan. "There is no way to remove him."

In an effort to restore national unity, politicians called for Aoun to rejoin the opposition. Speaking in Bkirki, Ghattas Khoury urged the former army commander to "restore the alliance with the opposition in order to finish off the (Lebanese-Syrian) security system once and for all."

Sources: Ya Libnan, , AP